Wave-energy motor.



D. K. BRYSN.

WAVE ENERGY MOTOR.

APPLIUATIQN ULEB $515.12. 1910.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

2 SHEBTS--SHEET L D. KA BRYSN.

WAVE ENERGY MOTOR.

APPLIUATION FILED PBB.12,1910,

1,021,572. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I fm1/212257 MQ /fZ/yacw. Mlm

DAVID K. BRYSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAVE-ENERGY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 191.2.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DAVID K. BnvsoN, n citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pitteburfrh, in the eounty of Alleghenuvr and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented certain new und useful Improve ments in Wave-Energy lvlotors,` ot' which the following is a Speeitlmition, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention is an improvement upon my United Staten Patent No. 915,956, granted April 520, 1909.

The present` invention aims to provide a wave motor of the float type, wherein novel means is employed for obtaining power from ocean waves, the power being obtained hy the undnlatory movement of lloats upon ivaws. and the present invention resides in providing u machine ot' the ahove type with means` l'or importing a rotary movement to a shaft from the upstrolte of a lloat.

lo my prior patent there is ehoivn means whereby power ran he derived from the lat eral impulse ol :weave and't'ro'm the swell of the wave in one direetiom and the principal object of the present` invention is to provide meam` wherehy power can be derived from the .Lovell of a wave in either dirertion.

The present invention will he hereinafter more, fully deserihed and then spet'ifirally olainied. and reterent'e will non' he had to the drawing@` forming part of this Ipeoifiration, wherein there are illunlrated the preferred emliodinunth' otI the inwntion. hul it is to lle understood that tlui strut-tural i--letoents tht-root' ran he varied or changed without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention.

In the drawings:AhFignre 1 is a side elevation ol' :1 portion of the motor illustrating tliree unite4 ther-ooh Fig, 2 is :i plan ot' the .ennnnFig is n vertieal erosie eertional view of a Voelt' head und reeiprocnling Cap forming a parl ot' one ot the units ol" the motor, Fig. 4 in a plan of a Combined sprocket wheel need for imparting a rotary movement to the main shaft ot the motor, Fig. 5 is a horizontal eertional View of the same` Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly broken away and partly in Section5 of one of the tloats, Fig. i' n: a plan ot' a portion of the same, Fig.

S is a side elevation of a modified form of wave motor, Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified form of rock head and cap, Fig.. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 11 is a side elevation of still another modified form of my invention.

In order that those not eonversant With my prior Patent No. 918,956, may understand its nature, I quote from the same and will specifically point out the improvements,l as the various elements are considered.

To put my invention into practice, I ruse a pier or Suitable elevated structure for `eu porting my motor a desired nnd- Safe distant-e above the ocean waves, Said pier or strutture being preferably in communication with the ocean shore, whereby power -an he easily transmitted to the shore for manufacturing or electric lighting purposes. The motor can he suitably housed upon the pier or struoture and protected from destructive forcee4 of nature that might render the motor inoperative.

My motor Consists ot' a plurality of units that are arranged :is eompactly as possible to cooperate, each unit having mechanism for imparting a revolnhle movement to e shaft from a float moved in an undnlatory manner. l have only deemed it net-essary te illustrate three of these units and would have it underetootfl that un intfleiinite numlier can he uned at'tording to the power denired. As these unite arey identical in Con struction, with only a ,slight ext'eption on nf'rount of the arrangement of the mme, l will only desta-ille one of said units.

Referring tiret to Figs. i to 2% inrlunive. 1 designates n pier or elevated Ietrneture provided with n plurality ol longitlulinally :dining bearings :2 for a longitudinal shaft 3 adapted to he driven hy the unit` ot my machine. this,l shaft having a wheel 4 provided with a pitman eonmwtion 5 for driving an engine ol' a piece of machinery.

My first mentioned improvenwnt is n universal bearing located ahove an opening f3 adjacent to each one of the hearing@ 2 npon the elevated stiuoture or pier 1. The universal bearing t'omprises oppositely disposed bearings 7 and pivotally mounted in these hearings by trunnions 7 is a ring 8 and pivoted within the ring 8 as at 8a and at right angles to the trunnions thereof is nected to a walking beam 14 pivotallyy mounted in the bearings 2, as at 15, and the i object of this beam will hereinafter, appear.

My second improvement is in connection with the float lever, and instead of making this lever tubular, I make the same of two channel bars 16, arranged back to hack and suitably connected together. The upper ends of the bars are fixed and rigidly held in the neck 9 of the head 9, as at 17, and the lower ends of the bars are provided with depending bearings 18 for a roller or sprocket Wheel 19. This roller or sprocket wheel is adapted to vertically aline with the gertical grooves 20 formed by the channel ars.

My next improvement is in connection with the metallic hollow oval float which is slidably mounted uponthe float lever. This float is designated 21 a d isprovided with a central rectangular s eeve 22 adapted to receive the float lever. The upper and lower ends of the sleeve are provided with bearings 23 for op ositely disposed rollers 24 adapted to 11i e the oatupon the float lever and re uce the friction to a minimum.

The float 21 has the bottom thereof provided with openings 25 and the top of said-fioat is providedwith a pipe 26 having a conventional form of valve 27 the purpose of which will presently appear.

The sleeve 22 of the float is provided with an inwardly lrejecting lug 28 and connected to this ug are re'tractile springs 29, and connected to said springs is an endless sprocket c'hain 30, said chain 'passing over the roller or sprocket wheel 19 ot' the lower end of the float lever and extendin upwaitlly through the grooves 20 provided by the channel bars of said fioat lever. The sprocket chain 30 is adapted to extend upwardly through the cap 11 and over sprocket wheels 31 mounted upon the shaft. 3 and under a roller or sprocket wheel 32 carried by a bracket 33, secured to the bearing 2.

The sprocket wheels are identical 1n construction and each wheel is loosely mounted upon the shaft 3 between collars 31*l and 31c fixed upon the shaft. The periphery of the sprocket wheel has sockets 31" to receive the links of the sprocket chain 30 and interposed between said sprocket Wheel and the collar 31- is a ratchet wheel 31d and a disk 31". The ratchet Wheel 3ld is keyed upon the f aft and the disk 31'a is loosely mounted pon the shaft. Encircling the shaft 3 between the collar 31c and the disk 31e is a coiled compression spring 31t adapted to normally hold the disk 31e in engagement with the ratchet wheel 31. Pivotally connected to the sprocket wheel 31 by a pin 32a is a pawl 32h adapted to engage the rachet wheel 31d. The disk 31e can be cut away whereby the pawl can be easily connected to the s rocket wheel 3.1. The pawl 32b is provide .with a pin 32 adapted to extend through the pawl into a slot provided therefor in the disk 31 and into a oove provided therefor in the face of t e sprocket wheel 31. This mechanism constitutes what may be termed a ratchet; mechanism for moving the shaft 3 in one direction, said ratchet mechanism being placed out of operation while the shaft is moved in the op osite direction. Assuming that the sproc et wheel 31 is rotated in one direction, the awl 32b is elevated through the medium o the pin 32 extendin into the groove and the slot of the sproc et wheel 31 and the disk 31e, thereby maintaining the end of the pawl 32b out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 31d. Assuming now that the sprocket wheel is rotated in the opposite direction, the coiled sprin 31t holds the disk 31e in engagement with the keyed ratchet wheel 31d until the pin 32c of the pawl 32b rides downwardly and places the end of the awl 32b in engagement with the ratchet w ieel 31", thereby causing said sprocket wheel and the ratchet wheel to rotate in unison, the disk 31"' remaining stationary. Two sets of ratchet mechanisms are llocated upon the shaft 3 and they are reversely arranged upon the shaft, whereby the sprocket wheels will be alternately actuated according to the movement of the chain 30 to always rotate the shaft 3 in the same direction. This operation will be better understoody when ex plfained in connection with. the float 21.

ater can be admitted to the Hoat 21 to sink the same a desired depth in a wave, whereby it will positively ride with the wave, also whereby the water within the float will be of suiiicient weight toy lower the float upon the float lever when a Wave recedes. This is accomplished by opening the valve 27 and allowing water to enter the ioat through the openings 25 and by closing the valve after the desired displacement has taken place, the floats will remain upon the waves with the lower part thereof immersed. The floats are then subjectable to the actionof waves and by virtue oi their novel arrangement can move to all I only utilized the weight of the floats in descending upon the float levers to impart motion to the shaft 3.v

Now, the important improvement in the present invention is to utilize the upward movement ot the float upon the float lever and this has been `accomplished by the arrangement of the endless sprocket chain 30 and theuse of an additional sprocket wheel 31. It is apparent that the sprocket chain 30 must moveover the sprocket wheels by anyvmo'vement of the float upon the float lever, and since the sprocket wheels are reversely arranged, the shaft 3 will be revolved in one direction irrespective of the direction lin which tbe float moves' upon the float lever.

This can best be understood by reference to Fig.' 1 and to the floats or buoys, one of which I have illustrated in action while another israt rest. l/Vhen a unit is at rest the float lever is perpendicular with the walking beam 14 at approximately right angles to said float lever and the cap 11 resting upon the rock head which is held Iin a horizontal position. With the unit in action the lateral im ulse of a wave to move is entirely free o I any reciprocatory movement of the float upon the lever, and a movement of the float lever 16 in transmitting power to the shaft 3 is simply on a principley of leverage. 1

By reference to the universal bearings shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, it will be observed that the circular rock-head 9L will be tilted when the float lever is moved from a perpendicular osition, consequently the raised or high e ge of the rock-bead will elevate the cap 11, and as the upper end of said cap is universally connected to the yoke 13`of the walking beam 14, said walking beam will be rocked in the bearing 2. T he other end of the walking beam is adapted to be connected to a sprocket chain 14 4wh ich passes over a ratchet mechanism similar to that previously described, said mechanism being carried by the shaft 3. The end of the sprocket chain is rovided with a weight 14h to normally ho d the chain taut whereby it will frictionally engage the sprocket wheel of' the ratchet mechanism. This mechanism is adapted to cooperate with one of the other mechanisms in rotating the shaft in one direction.

The number of degrees the float lever 16 swings from the perpendicular is approximately the same number of degrees de scribed by the longer arm of the Walking beam 14. This is accomplished by making the distance between the universal connection 12 and the pivot 15 the same as the radius of the rock head 9*. ln other words. every foot pound delivered by a stroke of the lower endv of the float lever is transmitted to the power shaft 3, and `through the medium of the universal connections the power lost in transmission is not perceptible. Combining the reciprocating movement of the `float upon the float lever with the swiiiging movement imparted to the loatby the lateral impulse of a wave, a continuous rotation of the shaft 3 is accomplished.

The universal bearing shown in Fig. 3 eliminates all liability of the float lever being bodily raised when the float is raised and to eliminate stresses and strains upon the sprocket chain 30, I have incorporatedthe retractile springs 29, these springs compensatin for an sudden or jerky movement suc as'mig t be imparted to the iloat bythe breaking of a wave, and thereby preventing the power shaft and the ratchet mechanisms thereof from being injured. Furthermore, as a safetyv factor, I provide vthe float 21 with the pipe 26-and the valve 27. This pipe 26 and valve 27 permit ofl .fair exhausting from the float whereby it can be completely filled with water and sunk beneath the surface of the waves as is essential during an unusual heavy storm or extraordinary oceanic conditions. To remove the desired quantity of water from the float, air is injected into the same to expel the desired amount of water, fwherebyv the float will assume its normal position u on the surface. The forcing of air into t e pipe 26 can be accomplished.by a hose connection, either permanent or detachable, and` with the pipe 26 of a sufficient length, always exy,tendin above the water, the connection can be ma e permanent by carrying the air supply pipe upwardly along theoat lever to the pier or elevated structure.

`In the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive, these` modifications will be best understood by quotingv from niy prior patent. In the first place, separate bearin s 42 are provided with the shaft 3, and said shaft at certain points is provided with balance wheels 43 and puley wheels 44. The vertically reciprocating caps are of a skeleton form'with the shaft 3 extending through said caps, and these ca s atv their upper ends are provided with ballul and socket connections 45, and with walking beams 46, said beams being crumed upon bearings 47 adjacent to the bearings 42. The beams are weighted, as at 48, to properly balance the walking beams, and are provided with cables or chains similar to the beam 14, with the ev-` ception that the cables or chains travel under the ratchet mechanisms (of the shaft 3) and over pulleys 49 provided therefor. Instead of locating the ratchet mechanisms directly above the reciprocating caps, as in' fut sprocket wheel 51, similar to the wheels 3 2 of the referrediorm of construction.

In Fig. I illustrated a modified form of bearing for the circular rock head, the bearing comprising a socket 52 anda ball 53 car ried by the head 9'. The ball 53 is provided with an openin for the upper end of the lioat lever, and t e head 9 is provided at the upper end of the float leverwith rollers 54 in my power motor, and all o bearing 41 carried by the pier or elevated structure y 1. y

From theforegoing it will be observed that I have devised numerous im rovements these improvements contribute to better results and meet with certain conditions that could not be met by the motor disclosed in my prior patent. i

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is:

1. In a wave motor, the combination with a pier, bearings supported thereby, and a shaft journale in said bearin s, of a plurality of shaft operating units ocated upon said pier, each unit comprising a universal bearing, a rock head forming part of said bearin a de ending float lever supported by sai rock ead, a float slidably mounted upon said lever, a lug carried by said float and extending into said lever, a roller carried by the lower en d of said lever, a reciprocating cap supported by said rock head, a walklng' eam pivotally mounted in one of the first mentioned bearings, a universal connection between said beam and said cap,

ratchet mechanisms located upon said shaft, a roller revolubly sup orted adjacent to each mechanism, an en less sprocket chain adapted to travel over said roller and the roller of said float levrland have the ends thereof yieldably onne'bted to the lug of said float, and a s rocket chain connected with said beam an passing over the other of said ratchet mechanisms.

2. In a wave motor, the combination with a pier, bearings supported thereby, and n shaft journaled in said bearings, of a plurality of shaft operating units supported b v said pier, cach unit comprising a universal bearing, a rock hond located thru-on, dcpending chunncl bars carried by said rock the sproc tet chain 30 head and constituting a Heat lever, a lioat slidably mounted upon said lever, means in connection with said float and adapted to cause v a displacement of water therein, a beam pivotallyicarried by one of said bearings and adapted to be oscillated by a rocking movement of said head, ratchet mechanisms located upon said shaft for rotating the same, a sprocket chain connecting with said beam for actuating one lof said mechanisms, and an endless sprocket chain connecting with said lloat for actuating the other of said mechanisms.

3. In a Wave motor, the combination with a shaft, of a plurality of independent mechanisms for rotating said shaft, endless sprocket chains adapted to travelvov'er some of said mechanisms means adapted to' movably anchor one o said chains relativeto the swell of a wave, and means in connection with the first mentioned means and adapted to impart a movement'to the other of said chains by the lateral impulse of a wave.

4. In a wave motor, the combination Wit-h a plurality of oat levers, of Hoats slidably mounted upon said float levers and in conjunction With the movementof said float leversadapted to transmit power, and air connections with said float levers adapted to displace water within said floats by the injection of air.

5. A wave motor comprising a driven element, driving mechanisms therefor, and float mechanisms 'operated from the swell of a wave in either direction for actuatin said driving mechanisms to operate the driven element.

6. In a wave motor, a driven element, driving /means therefor, swinging float levers, floats vertically movable upon said levers, means actuated by a swinging movement of said levers for operating sald drivingr means, and means actuated by the vertica movement of the floats upon said levers for operating said driving means.

7. In a wave power motor, a plurality of float levers, floats slidably mounted upon said levers and in connection therewith transmitting power, and means whereby fluid. pressure can be supplied to within the floats to regulate the submerged position of the floats.

8. A wave power motor, comprising a driven element, driving mechanisms therefor, float mechanisms operated from the 'swell of t-he wave in either direction for actuating said driving mechanisms to operate the driven element, and means for supplying air to the float mechanisms for regulating the submerged position of the float clemcntsof said float mechanisms.

S). A wave motor comprising a driven element, driving mechanisms therefor, float mechanisms including lloat elements, said Hoat mechanisms operated from the swell In testimony whereof I ax mysignature of vav'e in ethelll direction for actuatirtnlg in the presence of two witnesses,

sai rivin mec anisms to o erate t e v driven elemgent, and means in I:zonnection DAVID K BRYSON' with said oat mechanisms for regulating Witnesses:

the buoyancy of thepoat elements upon a. KARL H. BUTLER Wave. EVA A. MILNE. 

